Shiller
Shiller is a standard agent in the Dino Attack Team and an old friend of Hotwire's. Biography Early Life Benjamin Shiller was born in a small town several counties north of LEGO City, where he spent his childhood as the middle of several siblings. After he received chronically poor marks in middle school, his parents enrolled him in the local vocational/technical high school. For most of the first year, he struggled to fit in -- the only part of the curriculum he was at all good at was phys ed, but he hadn't the slightest bit of interest in joining the athletic teams. However, the following year, he became acquainted with a new student, David O'Neal. They fell into an easy camaraderie centered around causing various forms of mischief. He also engaged in a series of casual romantic relationships, none of them very long-lived. Post-graduation Ben graduated near the bottom of his class and remained in the town for the rest of the year, unsure what to do with himself. Then, in early spring of 2004, feeling trapped and unable to hold down a job, he finally decided to enlist in the LEGOLAND Military. He was kicked out of basic training for alleged insubordination in May. When he arrived back in his hometown, he was too ashamed to show his face, so rather than going home he simply lurked in the train station until night had fallen. Then, at his wit's end, he knocked on Dave O'Neal's door. In the early hours of the following morning, the two of them set out, intending to travel wherever the road took them. After a few weeks on the road, they were interrupted when Evil Ogel attempted to freeze the planet. However, since the primary battlegrounds between Ogel's forces and Alpha Team were the poles and the deserts, O'Neal and Shiller simply bought coats at a thrift store, put snow chains on the tires of the car, and continued on their way. Early in the fall, they reached the west coast of LEGOLAND, and O'Neal's car broke down. Because the necessary repairs would have cost more than the price of another vehicle, they sold the car for scrap and used the money to buy train tickets back across the country. O'Neal disembarked in the midwestern city where he had enrolled in engineering school, as his first semester was about to begin anyway. Life in LEGO City The trip turned out to be very cathartic for Shiller, who regained most of his old confidence. Rather than returning to his hometown, he traveled to LEGO City where he attempted to find employment. He spent most of the next three years unsuccessful in this endeavor -- he was, in fact, occasionally homeless -- but refused to let his morale fall. In 2007 he got a job working security and crowd control at a bar. The following year, Shiller attempted to break up a fight outside the bar and was laid out by a young woman named Lucy Wright. Despite having just recieved a bloody nose, he felt attracted to her and asked her to dinner. The two found they had chemistry and decided to enter a relationship. The odd dynamic of this relationship -- namely, the fact that minor physical attacks became an expression of affection for them -- turned many quizzical heads, but they were quite happy with the situation, as neither felt that any previous romantic partners had understood them in the same way they understood one another. The Dino Attack begins/Adventurers' Island Shiller and Wright had just bought an apartment together when mutant dinosaurs began appearing all over the world. Like most of the population, they evacuated to Antarctica, but in the confusion they were separated. After a few months, they began experiencing the proverbial "cabin fever." At this point they were reunited, and due to their somewhat rowdy behavior in trying to stave off boredom, the authorities at the refugee facility strongly suggested that they join the Dino Attack Team. After his experiences trying to join the military, Shiller was hesitant, but Wright talked him into it. The only condition he demanded was that they vow to stick together. They joined just after the deconstruction of LEGO Island, so the first mission they actively participated in was the operation on Adventurers' Island. The constant sticking together turned out to be somewhat of a strain on their relationship after a while, and in the wake of a harsh argument, they decided to join separate squads. As a result, Wright was with the Rear Guard and Shiller was already at Outpost 4 when the attack on the Rear Guard Camp occurred. Fearing that Wright had been killed, Shiller began to bitterly regret their argument. As it turned out, Wright escaped injury, and the two were reunited once again. They manned the rear guns and scanners on Larson's T-1 Typhoon in the battles at the Temple of Hotep III and the Maelstrom Temple, and remained on board for the return journey to Dino Attack Headquarters. The final battle Once back at DAHQ, Shiller was surprised to discover that Elite Agent Hotwire, who had temporarily been in joint command of the mission with Reptile, was in fact none other than Dave O'Neal. Their reunion was interrupted by the murders of the Second Headquarters Squad, and Hotwire requested that Wright and Shiller shadow Trigger after the mercenary attempted to kill Amanda Claw. Once XERRD's mole had been captured, and Dr. Rex's attack plans revealed, Shiller, Wright, Hotwire, and Kat took a couple of hours to relax, reasoning that it could very well be their last chance, before preparing for the coming battle. Shiller and Wright manned the guns on Swerve's Iron Predator, acting as part of the last defensive line around DAHQ. They remained mostly unoccupied until Dr. Rex was fatally injured and subsequently possessed by the Darkitect. As Dr. Rex advanced once again towards HQ, surrounded by his armies of dinosaurs, Shiller was gravely wounded when a Mutant Lizard knocked him out of the IP's turret and attempted to maul him with its claws. Abilities and traits Like Wright, Shiller identifies as an idealist, but is better described as a pragmatist; he holds ideals similar to Digger or Rex, but applies them only when he feels the situation allows it. Shiller is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and the use of smaller handheld weapons. Trivia *Shiller's first name is the same as one of '''Jackson Lake's '''old friends from Real Life™. *His surname is derived from the eponymous song by the band RATATAT Category:Dino Attack Agents Category:Jackson Lake Category:To Be Expanded